Tooth anchorage and method of connecting the same



Aug. 18, 1931. H. R. BERGER 1,8191% TOOTH ANCHORAGE AND METHOD OF CONNECTING 1'8! sm Filed larch 6, 1931 z! dNVEZTORT I 4 ATTORNEYS,

Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES HERBERT 1e. BER-GER, or BROOK YN, NEW YORK TOOTH ANCHORAGE AND MET'HOD .OF CONNECTING THE SAME Application filed March 6, 1931. Serial No. 530,537.

Myinvention relates to a new and improved tooth anchorage.

One of the objects of my invention 1s to provide a new. and improved device for holding an artificial tooth in abridge, a

plate, or the like. 1

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a new and improved construction for resisting the bending strains which are imposed upon an artificial toothwhen the same forms part of a bridge, a plate, or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an artificial tooth having one or more pins projecting therefrom, said pins being combined with an anchoring strip by means of a vulcanized rubber connection, so that the artificial tooth and the anchoring strip are held firmly and yieldably together. Another object of my invention is to provide an anchorage for an artificial tooth, said anchorage comprising a-strip made of metal or other suitable material, said strip being held at the proper angle to the tooth, in order to reinforcethe attachment against 2 bending stresses. V a I v Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following drawings and description which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above general statement of the objects of my invention is intended to generally explain the same, without limiting it .in'any manner. I f r Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view. v Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of a plate to which the artificial teeth have been connected by my improved device. f

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a tooth showing the attachment pins.

Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the metalanchorage strip.

Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 3 showing the anchorage strip assembled with the pins of the tooth, the pins being shown in section and the representation of a part of the anchorage strip being omitted.

Fig.=6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification. 1

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows the blank illustrated in Fig. t bent into final shape, this final shape being also shown in Fig. 6. I

Fig. 9 illustrates a third modification. Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-10'of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the anchorage strip usedin Fig. 9.

I have illustrated my invention in con- 6 nection with front or incisor'teeth, the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-7 representing an upper tooth and the other embodiments showing lower teeth. The tooth T shown in Figs. 1-7 is provided vwith one or more headed pins P projecting therefrom in any suitable direction. The pins P are assembled with the tooth T, during the'process of manufacturing said tooth, which can be madeof any suitable material now used for making artificial teeth. The anchorage strip S is madeof any suitable metal, and it is formed from a blank having the shape shown inFig. 4. The stripS is preferably made: of a nonrusting metal. such asstainless steel, gold, platinum, or the like. The strip S is provided with a pair ofinotches' or recesses R. In order to assemble thetooth with the strip, the notches R are moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the pins P enter the notches B. Any lateral movementof the strip S is preventedbythe heads of the pins]? because the thickness of the shank of each of the pins P is approximately equal to the width of thecorresponding notch R. While a tight fit between the shanks of thepins P and the notches R is not necessary, the head of the pins P should be made sufliciently large to prevent the strip S from being detached by a lateral sliding movement parallel to said shanks.

The tooth is also formed with a shoulder E which limits the movement of the strip S in a direction perpendicular to the pins P. When a tooth and its strip have thus been loosely assembled, they are vulcanized into the plate G, which is made of any suitable well known hard rubber composition.

The strip S and the pins P are thus connected by the vulcanized rubber and the vulcanized rubber also enters the spaces between the shanks of the pins P and the walls of the recesses or notches R. The vulcanized rubber also forms a support at the back wall of the tooth T, including the shoulder portion E.

When the tooth is to form part of a bridge, the assembly is made by means of vulcanized rubber in the manner above mentioned.

The anchorage thus mentioned provides a very firm connection between the tooth and the plate or bridge.

The strip S in effect forms apart of the plate or bridge, being imbeclded therein. Likewise, when strong biting pressure is exerted upon the point of the tooth, there is a tendency for the tooth to bend with re spect-to the bridge. The shape o'f the strip S which isshown in .Fig. '1 tends to resist any such bending movement because the notched portion of the strip is substantially perpendicular to the pins P, and :the hard rubber mass which is between the outer bent end of the strip FS, and the pins "and the rubber which is between the back wall of the tooth produce rcons'iderable resistance to any bending movemento'f the tooth. V

In the embodiment shown in 1 igs. 6 and 7, the strip Sphas its outer *end provided with :a U-shaped portion Otherwise, the construction is thelsame. The use of this U-shaped :end snakes it possi'blelto :dispense with'some ofthe rubber at the top of the tooth.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustratesubstantially the same deviceas Fig. 11, save that the tooth T is now alower incisor tooth and the pins P :are nowisuperposed with respect 'to the lOIlgltHCllIlfllftXlS ofthe tooth. I-n this case the 'metal strip IS is only provided with a single'notch or:recessfR.

lVhile I refer to a plate in the -'claims, it isto be understood that the invention also applies to bridges-and to all artificial dentures.

Likewise, while I preferto use 'a plurality of "pins, "the invention is not to be restricted to any particular number ofp'ins or to any particular shape of said pins.

The metal strips "S have their longitudinal walls preferably provided with recessed portions L, in order to cause the saidstrip to be held more firmly in the mass of vulcanized rubber.

It will be noted that when the device is assembled, the body of the strip S is inclined away from the cutting edge of the tooth.

As shown in Fig. 1, the vulcanized rubber portion of the denture may be substantially confined to the shouldered portion of the rear wall of the tooth. However, as shown in Fig. 6, the vulcanized rubber portion of the denture may extend beyond said shoulder.

In order to form the plate or the like, it is only necessary to loosely assemble the strip S with the pin means P and to then vulcanize the parts together as shown in Fig. 1. The vulcanized'ru'bber is therefore located between the bent notched end of the strip S and the rear wall of the tooth and it is also-located betweenthe pin means and the wall or walls of .the notches R. It will be noted that the strip S has a body and an outer portion, and that the outer portion, which engages the pin means, is substantially parallel to the outer axis of the tooth. Likewise, theouter end of this outer notched portion is proximate to the biting end of the tooth.

It will also be :noted that the plateextends substantially to the gum-edge of the tooth, and that the material of :the plate is limited and defined by the shoulder of the ;-tooth. Whenever I refer in the claims to rubber, it is to be understood .thatI desire -to-cover any equivalent plastic material, as-substitutes for rubber have been suggested in dental work. I

For convenience, I have designated the biting edge of the tooth shown in Fig. 1

by the reference :numeral 1, and the gum,- edge of the tooth by the reference inuneral 2. The part ofthe tooth between the points 1 and 3 is .the biting portion of the tooth. The part of the tooth intermediate the shoulder 4 and the point 5, is designated "as "the shut portionof the tooth, and the part oi the tooth between the :points 5 and2, is designated as the gingival portion of the tooth.

It will be noted that the pins are provided :in the .sh-ut portion of the tooth, and this is always done irrespective of the type of tooth. That is, it will be noted that the drawings .show incisor teeth, and that other teeth, such as molars or bicuspids, are of different shapes.

The above terms used to designate 'the various portions of the artificialtooth, are well known in dentistry.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention, but it 'is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit,

I claim:

An artificial denture comprising a tooth having a bite portion, a shut portion, a gingival portion, and a shoulder between said bite and shut portions, the shut portion having pin means extending therefrom, an angular anchorage strip having a substantially U-shaped end, and a denture in which said pins and strip are embedded, the bite portion of said tooth being substantially free from the denture, said U-shaped portion engaging said pins, and having the base of the U adjacent said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

HERBERT R. BERGER. 

